Re: Upgrading everything else

[Eliot Lim <eliot@lanmola.engr.washington.edu>]

> >From what I read in Car & Driver, the S4 brakes are very good but
> they tend to fade under repeated use (or maybe abuse).  So I don't
> know if it's a good idea to look into the S4 brakes.

well, i think that pad material plays a big part in fade performance.
it is a tradeoff.  soft pads have much better low speed bite but fade
earlier; hard pads don't bite until they are hot.  my v8 has hard
pads; needs quite a bit of heave at city speeds, but are great for
hauling the car down from high speeds. (aren't repcos like that too?)

i think that the s4 has even larger discs than the other cars; that
can't possibly hurt.  also, the s4 is quite a bit heavier than the
fwd 5000T..

i think that audi is going in the direction of the japanese..
servotronic steering (bleech!) and softer pads for better city feel.
considering the speed limits here and the type of people they are
trying to sell to, i can't flame them too much.  (no prizes for
guessing who the main clientele for the new 90 is) if you look at fade
performance figures for all the japanese luxo barges, you will find
that they are all pretty mediocre too.


eliot